A tree will be planted on the grave of Nottingham's official Maid Marian so that her three-year-old daughter and husband, the city's official Robin Hood, can visit and talk to her.

Dr Sally Pollard was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2015 after she started noticing changes in her breasts. She visited her local GP and specialists confirmed the devastating news that it had spread to her bones and liver.

She died, aged just 39, on Friday, June 16.

But her legacy will live on as her husband Tim Pollard, 53, from Beeston, is planning 'a green funeral' where a tree is planted over his wife's final resting place.

It will be called 'Mummy's Tree' where Tim and the couple's three-year-old daughter Scarlett, can visit regularly.

He told the Post: "Maid Marian was a legend. Sal was a legend and legends never die."

Sally was a lecturer and researcher in human molecular genetics at The University of Nottingham and the amount of well-wishes by former students from across the globe has touched the family.

Sally with her daughter Scarlett

Mr Pollard told the Post: "We have received good wishes from people not only in Nottingham, but across the world. I knew she had touched people in so many positive ways.

"It is incredibly comforting to me and her family. She taught a lot of students that have gone overseas so we have had people from America, Europe, Australia and Singapore get in touch."

Mr Pollard added: "Sal never did anything traditional. She liked the idea of a green funeral where they plant a tree over you – that's what we are looking at.

"We like the idea that there is going to be a 'mummy tree' and Scarlett and I can visit, sit under it and talk to her.

The couple met many moons ago when Tim was working at a jewellery and clothes shop in St James Street. Sally was a customer and the pair always got on well.

But it wasn't until Tim started working at the Tales of Robin Hood that their bond deepened when he needed a Maid Marian.

Six years ago, he decided it was enough make-believe and told Sally: "You know all this pretending to be in love we are doing, well I quite like you.'

The Beeston couple married in September last year, but Sally took ill and missed the meal and speeches.

She spent most of the honeymoon at the Queen's Medical Centre and Nottingham City Hospital, where doctors discovered the cancer had spread to her brain.

The couple's garage - which was converted into a spare bedroom - became 'Mummy's Room', when Sally became really poorly.

It was there she passed away.

Tim said: "This morning Scarlett was staring intently at a framed print of this photo, one of several lovely photos taken of the three of us. "That's me and Daddy and Mummy, before she got poorly and died" she said, before turning around and continuing "Let's go into Mummy's Room now and play, we can have fun in there".

"I truly hope that Scarlett continues to see Sal's room as 'Mummy's Room' and that it and Sal's death holds no fear for her, just love and joy, because that's what Sal would want.

"It is going to be a room where we can play and have fun and call 'Mummy's Room. It will be part of the house and not closed off and Sal is there with us because that's where she was."

Paying tribute to his wife, he said: "Sal was the most loving person. We had spent decades as friends and only got together 10 years ago. We just clicked. We never had a cross word between us."

"I would like to thank all your readers who, ever since Sal was diagnosed two years ago, have come up to me in the street and at events and asked after her, me and Scarlett - it's amazing that they'll say "You don't know us but we've been following your story in the paper" and it was astounding and humbling. It meant a lot to Sal when I came home to tell her, and still means a lot to me."